On CAPS, 89% of the 418 members who have rated BJ's believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Earlier this year, one of those bulls, fellow Fool Thomas Engle (TMF1000), succinctly summed up the BJ's bull case:

I like this company because it has a very small store base and is in only 13 states. They have excellent potential for expansion. The Company says 300+, I think that is too conservative. ...

I expect those store estimates to go up significantly as they continue to build out their store base. They have a low cost menu close to that of Buffalo Wild Wings which should help them when times are tougher. They majority of their restaurants are in states like California which were hit hard by the recession. ...

I believe [BJ's Pizza & Grill] could be the [Buffalo Wild Wings] of pizza, though they have televisions, they aren't a sport bar, but pizza is one of the U.S favorite foods with tens of thousands of pizza restaurants, there is huge amount of growth potential that [BJ's] can tap as they take market share from competitors. ... It won't grow fast, but steadily and without debt.

If you want market-thumping returns, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Of course, despite a strong four-star rating, BJ's may not be your top choice.